When You & I Collide

Sunlight poured through the gap in Evie's curtains like a stage light, burning her eyes. She let out a restless groan, using her arm to shield her face, and winced when her wrist bone connected with a large, painful lump on her forehead. Slowly, she pulled herself up and groggily made her way to the en suite connected to her bedroom. She pulled back layers of thick dark hair from her face to examine the damage. 'Shit' she groaned, peering at the large bruised mass that had taken residence. Not to mention she still had last nights make up on, mascara streaming down her cheeks in perfect symmetry. She looked like the newest member of KISS.

She turned the shower on and slowly peeled her pj's off, careful not to make any sudden movements, she wasn't sure at this point whether she would be greeted with last nights drinks at the bottom of the toilet bowl. Once she had adjusted to the temperature of the shower, she allowed her mind to digest last nights antics. She had a really good time last night. Interaction with Tom was not what she had expected. She had felt so at ease with him, as if they had been friends a long time. He had been charming, witty, tentative. Flirting. Evie raked through the puzzled peices in her mind. There had definitely been flirting. Her stomach tensed as she recalled Tom's finger placed on her lips. It wasn't so much the action as it was the look he gave her. His grey/green eyes had locked with hers and his smouldering gaze seemed to convey everything he had wanted to do with her there and then. No words were necessary. She had felt like there was nothing else around them at that point. It was just him and her in that moment. Exposed. And just like that, she saw each brick planted as it created that wall around her. Exposed. She didn't want to feel exposed. Being exposed gets you hurt, she'd chastised herself. Never again.

*****

Tom had been awake for hours. He was laid on his back in bed, his bed covers abandoned on the floor, with one arm resting over his toned torso and the other behind his head. He was staring at the ceiling absent minded, trying to come to terms with this unexplainable feeling that had somehow creeped up on him out of no where. Evie had been at the apartment for months now and he inwardly recalled each moment that their relationship had grown. Don't get me wrong, he thought, it's a far cry from all that romance bullshit, but I don't hate her anymore. Tom had never settled easily. He couldn't even recall sticking around with one girl for more than three months. He was a young batchelor, he told himself. And he wasn't one for being open, so whenever any of his previous girlfriends took that emotional step, he stepped right back and let them plunge in to lonely waters. Then got the hell out of there. Now he was left with an awkward altercation that took place over copious amounts of alcohol and he wasn't quite sure how to broach it today. He was sure last night that she was flirting with him. He had seen the drinks relaxing her facial expressions, visibly releasing that small vein that tensed on her temple, whenever she was angry with him. He had watched her all night as she artfully lowered her head and pulled her long lashes up to look at him, a shy smile pulling at her soft lips. And then at the apartment, when he had looked at her, her eyes conveying her approval of his touch. He took that first step. Bollocks! He groaned, his hand covering his face now in embarrassment. Recalling how that burning ember in her eyes faded as soon and he moved in on her. She was gonna think he was a class a dick now. Maybe that's how he should play it he thought. His inward musings were interrupted by the buzzing of his phone on the night stand. He studies his screen and accepted the call from Casey.

'Hey stranger how you feeling today?' Tom asked.
'Oh much better thanks. I think I caught something from Leo's cooking. I'm so sorry I couldn't make it last night. What did you do in the end?'
Tom relayed last nights antics with Casey, without the details of his and Evie's confusing chemistry.
'No way she did not get on the bar! Are we talking about the same girl here?' Casey laughed out loud. 'Ad since when did you two stop wanting to shoot each other's brains out?!' Tom could hear accusatory tone in Casey's voice and no doubt imagined her with a smirk. 'don't go there Casey, that is one ship I will NOT be sailing thank you very much'
'Yeah ok! Anyway I called to see if you guys fancied lunch today? I need to go through some things with Evie for when I get back to work.'
Tom finished his phone call with Casey agreeing to lunch at Jeremiah's later that day. He jumped out of bed and changed in to some sweats and a hoodie, brushing his teeth and doing a once over in his mirror before heading out.

He was greeted with Evie at the breakfast bar and braced himself for an awkward conversation. He was saved however, when he noticed the large bruise sporting her head.
'Wow that's a nasty lump Evie!' Tom snickered through gulps of his protein shake. 'Remind me how you got that again?!' He dodged the dishcloth that Evie launched in his direction and started lacing up his gym shoes. 'Oh yeah that's right... When you were gyrating on the bar.. Just before you performed your closing act... The face dive!' This time he didn't have time to react. The apple Evie launched landed square in his face. He looked at her incredulously.
'There we go!' Evie smirked 'now you'll have one to match!'
He rubbed his head as he picked up his keys. They stood and locked gazes, an uncomfortable silence drifting in the air before tom coughed loudly. 'Um yeah, almost forgot, Casey wants to meet for lunch today. I'm going out for a run so I'll be back around one?' Evie nodded in agreement waving him off dismissively whilst rummaging the cupboards for breakfast. She spared a glance once his back was turned and continued to stare at the door long after it was closed. Her day dream was interrupted by her phone on the bar top. It was a message from Sam.

'When can I see you?x'.